Letter to the Editor: Propane plan just too dangerous

Published
6:15 pm EST, Friday, February 13, 2015

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Letter to the Editor: Propane plan just too dangerous

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In Murdock, Illinois, a 30,000-gallon propane railroad car exploded. It’s 12,000-pound tank flew 3,650 feet — seven-tenths of a mile! The people of North Branford should think about this before allowing a 60,000-gallon storage facility to be built in their town.

If there is ever any type of danger from the proposed propane storage facility at 40 Ciro Road such as a broken valve, a leak, a fire or, God forbid, a catastrophic explosion, all people within a one-mile radius are mandated by the National Fire Prevention Code 58 to evacuate to a safer distance.

Along the 32 streets located within the 40 Ciro Road One Mile Radius Evacuation Zone are 661 properties housing 1,663 people, using the Town Government’s figure of 2.5 people per property.

Additionally, there are two condominiums, and one apartment complex 2,000 feet west of Ciro Road with 300 people. The entire North Farms condominium with 400 people is also within one mile.

Conservatively, 2,350 North Branford town residents, fully one-sixth of the town’s population, will have to evacuate if there is any problem at the proposed propane storage facility. How will they be notified of the evacuation? Where will they stay? Who will pay for their accommodations? What if it is 3 a.m. and 5 degrees above 0, when something goes wrong? There are many more questions! There are no answers from our Town Government.